1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to food and condiment containers. More specifically, the present invention is primarily intended as a combination of a stackable and nestable paperboard container with a cut-out portion and a clip-on condiment container sized for insertion through the cut-out portion in coaction with the clip-on attachment to the paperboard container.
2. Description of the Related Art
In today""s fast-paced society, prepared foods found at supermarkets and particularly at xe2x80x9cfast-foodxe2x80x9d restaurants, are extremely popular and useful. Prepared foods utilize disposable paperboard containers that are required to be stackable and nestable, one within another, either when partially or fully open. The containers must also be economical to manufacture, simple to use, and disposable after use.
With particular prepared foods, such as fried foods, vegetables, and fruits, it is often desirable to provide a condiment for dipping or scooping. In the xe2x80x9cfast foodxe2x80x9d environment, condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, marinara sauce, and xe2x80x9cfry saucexe2x80x9d are often desired for immediate consumption with french fry, onion ring, mozzarella stick, and other fried foods. The primary method for providing such condiments is in separately packaged materials and containers, or in bulk quantities where the user can pump the condiments into small cups for scooping. The user is then required to place the separately packaged condiment container in a separate location from the food container containing the prepared food where the user can then scoop the prepared food into the condiment container.
It is desirable to combine the condiment container with the food container and it becomes important for the user to be able to manage both the prepared food and the condiment with a single hand and at the same time.
In an effort to address this need, various containers have been developed over the years. Various containers have been developed with pockets placed directly on the food containers themselves for the direct and open reception of condiments therein. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,429, which issued to Cordle, discloses a paperboard food WAS container with a flip-out pocket that is operably mounted within the container mounted to a front panel, a rear panel, and to the side wall along a bottom edge. The condiment is then poured directly into the flip-out pocket. U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,528, which issued to Schluckebier, discloses a container having a first receptacle and an adjacent second fluid tight receptacle for condiments. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,333 discloses a xe2x80x9cdual bagxe2x80x9d container including a primary bag for french fries coupled to a secondary bag for ketchup. The problem with these containers is that they do not allow for the interchange of condiments once they are filled, the condiments quickly become messy and are not dually contained during the eating process, and in some circumstances they place the condiment directly in the way of the user""s hand when reaching for the food.
Other containers have been developed to allow for the interchange of condiments, such as the condiment container support device of U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,201 B1 that is attachable to a supporting structure for supporting a condiment container in a cantilever position outside of the food container. The condiment containers of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,429,262 and 6,076,700 provide carry-along self-contained and supported containers that can be clipped onto the primary food containers. The problem with these containers is that they are neither protected within the food containers nor are they supported by more than their own clip structures.
It is therefore important and necessary that a combination food container and condiment container is developed that both dually contains the condiment, allows for single-handed use, minimizes the messiness of scooping and eating condiments on prepared foods, provides a means for condiment interchangeability, securely supports and protects the condiment container, is easy to manufacture, and allows for ease of use.
Other objects of my invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.
The present invention provides a food and condiment container combination. According to the present invention a combination is provided and comprises a food container, a condiment container, and a clip structure. The food container includes a front panel, a back panel attached to the front panel by at least one side panel and a bottom panel for defining an enclosure therebetween. A cut-out portion is located in the at least one side panel and is attached to the front panel and to the back panel and extends into the enclosure. The condiment container includes a top end, a bottom end, and side walls sized for placement against the at least one side panel of the food container. The clip structure is positioned at the top end for attaching and suspending the condiment container to the at least one side panel of the food container. The cut-out portion is sized and positioned for securing the condiment container near the bottom end in coaction with the clip structure.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a food container comprising:
a first container and a second container. The first container includes a first panel and a second panel positioned opposite the first panel. The first panel is folded and attached to the second panel for forming an enclosure therebetween. A cut-out structure is formed in the first panel for extending into the enclosure between the first panel and the second panel as the enclosure is formed. The second container comprises a plurality of connected walls and a detachable lid. A clip structure is attached to one of the plurality of connected walls. The second container is sized and shaped for placement within the enclosure of the first container. A bottom portion of the plurality of connected walls can be placed through the cut-out structure and the clip structure can be attached to the first panel. The cut-out structure and the clip structure therefore can coact for securing the second container inside of and to the first container.
Finally, in a further embodiment of the present invention, a container for containing food and condiments in a food-scoop type structure is provided. The container comprises a first container and a second container. The first container comprises a front wall, a back wall, and a plurality of side walls connecting the front wall to the back wall and defining an enclosure therein. A cut-out or flange structure is provided in at least one of the side walls for transversely projecting into the enclosure underlying the clip structure in vertically spaced relation in the illustrated embodiment. The second container is sized for placement within the enclosure and comprises a clip structure for attachment to one of the side walls of the first container. The cut-out or flange structure is located beneath the clip structure on the at least one side wall for holding the second container in coaction with the clip structure. In this way the first container can contain the second container. If the container were of a roundish shape or configuration, the cut-out would be configured and project inwardly from the wall of the roundish container to anchor the bottom end of a second container with ketchup or other dip. The container would have a cantilever suspension from the first container similar to the illustrated embodiment shown in the drawings all in the spirit of my invention. My first container open at its upper end and closed at its lower end for carrying a food, a plurality of side walls define an enclosure therein. A deflectable cut-out structure is provided in the container transversely and projects into the enclosure when in a deflected position located inside the enclosure, a second container is sized and shaped for placement within the enclosure, and a clip structure is provided for attachment to the first container. The cut-out structure when in the deflected position spaced beneath the clip structure co-acts with the clip structure stabilizing the second container in assembled relation within the enclosure defined by the first container.
The present invention, therefore provides a combination food container and condiment container that both dually contains the condiment, allows for single-handed use, minimizes the messiness of scooping and eating condiments on prepared foods, provides a means for condiment interchangeability, securely supports and protects the condiment container, is easy to manufacture, and allows for ease of use.